The invention relates to a hair dryer/styler having a housing which accommodates a motor-fan unit for generating an air stream and having a diffuser for diffusing the emergent air stream and for reducing the velocity of the emergent air stream, which diffuser comprises a plurality of resilient fingers, which extend substantially in the direction of the emergent air stream and which can engage against a scalp during use of the hair dryer/styler.
Such a hair dryer/styler is known from EP-A-0 473 822. During use of a hair dryer/styler hairs can be picked up by the fingers of the diffuser for the purpose of styling the hair. The fingers then serve as hair styling elements. Furthermore, during use the diffuser should be kept at some distance from the head. In order to do this in a more controlled manner and make this more convenient for the user a diffuser is provided with such fingers. The air can then be blown into the hair in a more controlled manner, thus enabling the hair to be styled in a better way. A problem during use is that when the diffuser is positioned with respect to the head or when the hair is being styled the user is likely to bring the fingers of the diffuser into contact with the scalp. This is an uncomfortable sensation. In EP-A-0 473 822 it has been attempted to solve this by arranging all the fingers on one carrier plate. This carrier plate is resiliently depressible and is slightly pivotable inside the diffuser. The resilient carrier plate has a covering function and precludes damage in the case of an excessive pressure of the fingers on the scalp. Since all the fingers are carried by one carrier plate this does not provide an optimum protection against excessive pressure on the scalp.